


Enough

by NahaFlowers



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, Gen, S3, Spoilers, idk what this is, just tom and mary being cuties, s4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-16
Updated: 2013-10-16
Packaged: 2017-12-29 14:29:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1006510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NahaFlowers/pseuds/NahaFlowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My take on Mary and Tom's relationship, set somewhere at the end of Season 4 and beyond.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enough

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure what this is, but I've had it in my head all day so I had to get it down. I'm not sure it came out quite the way I wanted it to, but here it is: my take on Mary/Tom, and it's up to you how romantic it is...

Tom knows it first.

It takes him completely by surprise, even though he’s not completely certain what _it_ is yet. He’s not even sure when it happens.

He sees her playing with George and Sybbie in the nursery, listens to her advice and gives his in return, hears her defending his decisions (about bringing Sybbie up, about his politics, about moving out) to her father and the rest of the family), fiercely, without compromise.

And suddenly he thinks, _I love you, Mary Crawley._

He doesn’t know where it comes from – there is no desire there, not really, just mutual admiration and respect, respect which stems from the support they have offered and received throughout the darkest times in their lives. He thinks, perhaps, it might just be an older brother sort of love; but even so, he knows he cares more about Mary than about anyone else in the house (apart from Sybbie, of course).

It is when he sees her dancing and flirting with other men, or tells him about Tony Foyle’s proposal, that he feels a flicker of something else. He defines it as protectiveness, and thinks nothing more of it, but he will later realise it is the spark of jealousy.

She is far too good for any of these men, and never having been one to hide his feelings, Tom tells her so.

She smiles at his words, but in surprise, as if she cannot quite believe what she is hearing. Her smile is almost shy, and it softens her face in a way that reveals all her vulnerability, the weakness (or she would call it weakness), that she would never allow these other men to see. Yet she shows it to Tom so easily. It is a mark of how close they have grown as brother and sister, and nothing more than that.

“And none of them is half the man that Matthew was,” he adds.

Her eyes sadden at this, and Tom regrets bringing it up, but it’s true (they both know it) and he’s never been good at holding his tongue.

“Nor half the man you are,” she murmurs, half to herself, as if only just realising the truth of her statement. 

There is something between them in that moment; something that Mary will never have with these other men. It is not romantic – neither of them is sure it ever will be – but it is enough. They smile at each other, and when Tom asks her if she’d like to dance, Mary doesn't say no.


End file.
